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GM adds to Port of Hueneme’s export market

General Motors recently expanded its market by exporting vehicles to China through the Port of Hueneme, with its first shipment of Buicks and Cadillacs.

“We thank everybody and especially GM,” Robert Miller exclaimed during a celebratory send-off. Robert Miller, president and CEO of Global Auto Processing Services Inc. or GAPS, recently welcomed the first export shipment of American made GM automobiles from the Port of Hueneme. GAPS, awarded the contract to process and distribute GM’s import vehicles approximately one year ago has since that time handled various GM imports through the Port of Hueneme. This is the first major export shipment of GM automobiles through the GAPS contract

The new ship the M/V CSCC Shanghai, chartered by K-Line, Inc. and delivered in April of this year loaded 2,149 GM vehicles, with Cadillacs going to Shanghai, and Buicks headed to Xingang in northern China.

“It is an ongoing deal, with what we hope will be one to two sailings a month,” said GM logistics specialist Don Asdell, “These GM cars are built to the highest US standards and are gaining in popularity in China where they are used by corporate executives and rising middle class consumers.”

The target demographic, Asdell said, is generally executives who have drivers and chauffeurs.

Reflecting the flexibility of the US multimodal transportation system the vehicles, manufactured at plants in Arlington, Texas; Bowling Green, KY; and Lansing, MI, are hauled by train to Mira Loma in Riverside County. From there, they are trucked to the Port of Hueneme.

The Port of Hueneme was chosen for a number of reasons, Asdell said, including the location, available space, processing capabilities and the competitive bid submitted by Global Auto Processing Services.

Just how many vehicles will be shipped over the long term will depend on demand in China, Asdell said.

The GM exports are the second group of autos being exported through the port of Hueneme. Wallenius Wilhelmsen logistics has been handling Honda Acura exports manufactured in Alliston Canada railed via the US rail system to Mira Loma where they in turn are trucked to the Port of Hueneme for export to China.

Combining the GM exports with Honda’s has created a jump in exports through the Port of Hueneme of 110%, in the first quarter of this fiscal year over the same period last fiscal year.

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